The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-09
SPANISH FUNERAL CUSTOM.
Strange Scenes Witnessed in the
CeneterY at Seville


From d Letter in the London Referee
Funerals i'll Spain are conducted in a
manner which is in the highest degree origi-
ma. When you die you are got rid of as
soon as possible. The Spaniards have the
same horror of death surroundings as the
Italians, but they go a great deal further
As quickly as possible-sometimes within
an hour-the body is placed in an elaborate
colin made OF metal and painted to initiate
marble. Some of these ''caskets"
are smothered in gilt ornaments of
most elaborate character All
SECS are kept ready at the great funeral
Establishments. The collins open length
wise. The lid is on hinges and is locked
WITH key. The poorer people are buried
wooden collins, covered with various de
Signs in colored ribbons. Children's collins
are made in white and blue and are deco
rated like bon-bon box. Collins of this
description are sold almost everywhere in
le south. You see them hanging up out
SIDE the shops by dozens.
went over the premises of one of the
biggest undertaking concerns in Spain. 1t
+ a public company and is called La
runerarla." never saw such magnificence
IN my life. Some of the funeral cars are
quilt IN the style Of the great gilt and glass
cars which figure in a circus procession
through country town. The drivers and
!9Sotrnen are dressed in gorgeous liveries
mat make you blink to look at them. some
o. the lveries that was shown cost over
81 600 each They positively blazed with
gold. A grand first-claSs funeral with
fetlnue of footmen and officials in dazzling
pageant
As rule, the corpse, even when so mag
allicently conducted TO its last home, is uu-
attended by any relatives. Spaniards finish
WIN their dead, as "a rule, when the church
ceremony is over. Few corpses are accom-
panied to the cemetery, except by the I'M
ueTtakers men. But in ordinary cases the
Soilln Is placed III yellow open car and
HllVen up to the cemetery by a gentleman
short jacket and peaked cap. The
uIlVer smokes his cigarette and cracks his
WGlp as he huns his favorite, tune. The
iilCuculous always lives next door to the sub
lune. The gr~-s go and the horrible are
hrst cousins.
Wlu describe two that witnessed in one
i nay at the great cemetery at Seville. -Four
note barefooted boys arrive at the GENE
hItle blue and white coffin. They jog
mong, chatting and laughing, up the long
az a enue OF trecs. Presently they see some
.lilng which attracts their attention. bird
VI, VI tree. Down they drop the coffin by the
roadside, and off they scamDer across
' tne grass 10 the tree They pick up
IIt ,Des and begin to throw at the
s Dlrd. IN the. process they quarrel about
STon.l3ething and two of the boys have fight
IN the meantime the coffin lies in the road
way. walk up to it, and through the
gus let into the lid see the dead child's
iiace IL has been dead perhaps twelve
l'otiis, so the features are unchanged and 1T
appears to be calmly sleeping. Several
pcople pass Inc, 40 one takes any notice of
. .ne collin IN the road. One old gentleman
neufi ~ tunbles over IL and swears IL is evil
ueiltiy nothing unusual
PRESENTLY these ragged boys have ar
ranged their little difference, return and
h'ek I'D the coffin. Two Of them have